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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEVI L. HILL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO VVYMAN R. BARRETT, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN PRODUCING LIGHT AND HEAT AND APPLYING THE SAME.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 38,137, dated April 7, 1863.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEVI L. HILL, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements inthe Mode of Producing Light and Heat, or both, and Applying the Same, of which the following is a specification.

The nature of my invention consists in combining steam or the vapor of water with a mixture of common air and the vapor of a hydrocarbon fluid, for the purpose of producing heat by combustion of the combination and utilizing the same for the production of steam or otherwise; and, further, for the use of said mixture of air, hydrocarbon vapor, and steam for heating and rendering incandescent finelydivided platina, or plates of said metal perforated, or wire of the same metal made into a net-work or cage,forproducinganintense light.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I give the following full, clear, and exact description thereof.

On the 20th of December, 1859, a patent, No. 26,497, was granted me, in which I describe a process of mixing the vapors of a hydrocarbon fluid and atmospheric air for the production of light or heat, or both, and have now before the Patent Office an application for the reissue of that patent for the purpose of securing to myself the exclusive right to that process. I have, since making the application for that patent, discovered that by a proper application of the vapor of water or steam to this mixture the heating-power of the combination is greatly increased, and that by regulating the ignited jet of a mixture of hydrocarbon vapor and air, with or Without steam, and inclosing it in a hollow case of platinum finely perforated, or made of fine wire or sponge of that metal, an intense light can be produeedfexceeding greatly that which the mixture would produceif ignited in open space, and at a very small consumption of the materials.

One of the modes I use in carrying out this invention is to mix water with the hydrocarbon fluid in the vaporizing-vessel described in my aforesaid Patent N 0. 26,497, and apply a heat to the vessel, so as to cause some of the watery vapors to pass off with the vapors of the hydrocarbon fluid. Any form of vaporizing-vessel may be used, either closed or open, and may be locatcdat any convenient place, and when the heat is designed for generating steam I find that better results are obtained by using a stronger flow of steam than can be obtained by these vaporizing-vessels, and I therefore prefer using live steam from a steam-boiler or other source.

Under some circumstances it may be advisable to pass the steam through or over the hydrocarbon fluid and afterward mix them with the atmospheric air. This is particularly the case when the hydrocarbon fluid has a range of volatility requiring a high temperature for the production of its vapor. In this modification the water in the vaporizing-vessel and the lamp or other mode of heating the hydrocarbon may be dispensed with. The combustion of these combined vapors and air produces an intense heat, which may be utilized by proper appliances for generating steam, fusing metals, or any other of the practical arts requiring such temperatures. For producing light from the combination of these vapors and atmospheric air acting upon platina I use any form of burner-such, for instance, as is commonly used in burning ordinary gas-and place upon it, so as to inclose its orifice, a hollow closed chimney or cap of a spherical, oval, or other form, made of thin platinum plates, perforated with minute holes over its whole circumference, or construct a cap or chimneyof the same form, made of fine platinum wire, or, hat would perhaps act as well, of platinum sponge. When the mixed vapors and air are first turned into the cap or chimney and lighted, if in too large volume, a flame is formed enveloping the cap to a greater or less extent by the issue of the mixed materials through the orifices or interstices of the cap; but by a careful manipulation of the stop-cocks in the pipes theflame should be reduced and brought within the cavity of the cap or chimney, when the platina immediately assumes a bright white heat, emitting a brilliant light throughout the chamber, rivaling almost in brilliancy the famous calcium-light. In this condition the consumption of materials is reduced to a very small amount, but producing a steady, mild light, much superior to ordinary gas.

If it be desired to use the light for lighthouses, beacons,&c., it is only necessary to increase the size of the burner to a capacity which the circumstances of the case may redescribed, for producing by ignition an intensely-heated jet of flame for generating steam and for inetallurgic and other similar purposes.

2. The use of a platinum cup or chimney, constructed and operating as described, in combination with ajetof the mixed vapors of a hydrocarbon and air, with or Without steam or the vapor of water, for the production of light.

LEVI L. HILL.

Witnesses:

SAML. F. SrMPsoN, TAPPAN ToWNsEND. 

